Second Place: Gluttons for Punishment

First of all, forget what you know about AMG C-class models: the relentless understeer, the heavy steering, the subtle styling additions, and the last-place comparison-test finishes. Mercedes now intends to go apex to apex with the M3.

A good start is the C63's immensely powerful 6.2-liter V-8, designed and built by AMG, the high-performance wing of Mercedes. This V-8 makes 451 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque, which is 89 more horsepower and 67 more pound-feet of torque than its predecessor, the C55. But we were even more interested in what AMG had achieved with the significantly reworked front suspension that results in a 1.4-inch-wider track. Could the C63 dance like the brilliant $140,000 CLK63 Black Series?

Hoist yourself into the deeply bolstered front bucket—easily the best seats of this grouping—and grab the sculpted, flat-bottom steering wheel. The shift paddles are at three and nine o'clock, and they respond instantly. They're still connected to a traditional automatic, but the quick responses and the blipped-throttle downshifts make you forget.

Did we mention it's loud? Well, not cruising at 70 mph—there it was the quietest of the three. But mash the gas, and the car behind you will get an earful of loud, even at speeds above 100 mph. And be sure to downshift for some glorious gurgling-and-popping engine braking.

Since most AMG cars are now powered by this engine, we thought Mercedes might artificially hold back on this historically most-inexpensive AMG car's performance, so we're pleased to report that this beastly Benz can outrun AMGs costing more than double the C63's $63,000 projected price.

An aggressive right foot generates can't-help-smiling burnouts, while a more restrained squeeze yields a fuss-free launch, followed by a hair-raising 3.9-second explosion to 60 mph, easily outrunning the other two. Upshifts happen quickly, leaving just the smallest interruption in the surge of power on the way to a blazing 12.3-second quarter-mile at 116 mph, and the Benz keeps charging hard until it runs headfirst into its 153-mph speed governor.

However, resorting to 55-percent-more engine displacement and 50-percent-more torque than the M3 to make the two-ton C63 outrun the BMW, which is lighter by 463 pounds, may indeed generate grins, but not admiration as an engineering marvel. How can the Benz weigh 220 more pounds than an Audi burdened by its heavy all-wheel drive? And even in this fuelish trio, the C63 stood out for fuel economy, 29 percent worse than the two others, averaging 10 mpg over 700 miles, or almost $200 per day in Germany, where premium gas is $7 a gallon.

Still, AMG has done a commendable job concealing the C63's weight by its quick, light, and accurate steering. But when the limit is approached, as it is in our lane-change test, the differences are clear. The M3 is far more willing to turn in and is quicker to transition, slithering through the lane change visibly quicker than the C63, although the Benz outpaces the Audi by a wide margin.

The upsize AMG brakes somehow managed to stop the heaviest-in-test C63 in 155 feet from 70 mph, the best of the day, although by only the slightest of margins. However, the C63's binders didn't have the initial bite so praiseworthy in the M3, and they were the only ones that got noticeably spongier after the testing regimen.

What really killed the Benz's chances of upsetting the M3, however, was its harsh ride. At low speeds, the suspension seems overly damped; the C63 dutifully tracks every lump in the pavement to the detriment of the jostled occupants. As the speeds rise, on back-road two-lanes, for example, the problem disappears and the Benz feels extremely capable and secure. But at even higher speeds, on unlimited sections of autobahn, the bucking behavior is back. It never caused the C63 to feel unstable but was nevertheless clearly the worst of the three cars.

In the end, we found the C63 to offer the most special experience in this highly desirable trio, but as the days wore on, we became slightly less enamored with the Mercedes' aggressive behavior and looks—the creases, the bulges, the vents, and the gaping front fascia could almost pass as an aftermarket job in this tasteful group. But if you like to be seen, heard, and talked about, the C63 is your Lamborghini of sports sedans.

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The Editors' Rating summarizes a vehicle's overall degree of excellence and is determined by our editors, who evaluate hundreds of vehicles every year and consider numerous factors both objective and subjective.

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The Editors' Rating summarizes a vehicle's overall degree of excellence and is determined by our editors, who evaluate hundreds of vehicles every year and consider numerous factors both objective and subjective.

The Editors' Rating summarizes a vehicle's overall degree of excellence and is determined by our editors, who evaluate hundreds of vehicles every year and consider numerous factors both objective and subjective.

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